just been told I have to go back to the office

[Sarah510]

and I don't want to!!!!! Have been wfh since lockdown and I love it. The freedom of it, and just not having to spend 2+hours commuting. I really thought I would be allowed to keep wfh as my job is not customer facing - I can do everything on teams, and a lot of it is with people in the far east so most is virtual anyway. But my team leader is the leader of another team as well, and she said to me today that she has put me on the rota for coming back to the office. I tried to say that I was happy to help out at busy times but that my priority had to be my own job, and that that wasn't people facing, and that it was going to be difficult to have these team meetings in a large office setting. She was unmovable though. I feel it's unfair. I mean, I'm not on that team, I'm a separate team, just me, the TL and a part-time person who is shielding so will not be coming back. I know people will slate me on here, but I really thought that things would change after lockdown. Team Leader is very anti wfh - she had denied requests even before Covid. She seems to be oldfashioned - like she always made a point of checking if I was in at 9am and telling me off if I was 5 mins late kind of thing. Never mind that I've been working weekends, late nights, early mornings since wfh, she just seems to want everyone back in the office under her watchful eye even though everyone is saying productivity is way up since we have been wfh.

Feeling miserable :( I guess I can 'see how it goes' and maybe put in a formal request to wfh. I tried to say to her that it was matter of being flexible but she's just not - she said no.

My organisation has realised how much money they can save not paying military travel to work. They’ve saved millions apparently and in an era where the budgets are always looking to be cut, that’s one area of spending they can reduce.

I’m quite happy going in one day a week and counting down the days until I can go on maternity leave!

Has the OP been asked to do a risk assessment? I have, and as yet still working from home.

My organisation has realised how much money they can save not paying military travel to work

Dh’s company are saving a fortune (millions) on office cost. They are continuing WFH until at least Jan purely to save money.
Productivity has improved and people actually get some work done on Fridays now.

The civil service is being very cautious on allowing those with health conditions or pregnant women back to work. Well, at least my Department is! We do have a good union though.

A risk assessment has been completed for my office. There is space for three members of staff. We are a team of six. Three of us prefer to WFH and three prefer to work in the office. This has been agreed until further notice. The original plan of merging approx 100 staff to work in an open plan office has been put on hold. I don't see us working together in one room ever again.

panamapattie, I wish my team leader would be as open about it. I don't even know how many are in the team - I suppose it's because i'ts not my team. Just feel very in the dark about it all. She did say that 2 people can sit at desks and one person will have to sit at the reception counter, which isn't very satisfactory as there is no computer there, though I think she said we could put our laptop on the counter. I suppose it will become clearer. I mean if there are some who want to come in and some who prefer to wfh would that not be a good way to do it. I suppose it was lucky it worked out so equally for your team!!

I wish my team leader would be as open about it. I don't even know how many are in the team - I suppose it's because i'ts not my team. Just feel very in the dark about it all.

Have you even asked how it’s going to work? Or have you been too busy telling her she “needs” to be more flexible and let you stay at home?